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Allergy

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Allergy



 
 
Allergy is a disorder of the immune system
Immune system

An immune system is a collection of biological processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumour cells....
 often also referred to as atopy
Atopy

Atopy or atopic syndrome is an allergic hypersensitivity affecting parts of the body not in direct contact with the allergen....
. Allergic reactions occur to environment
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
al substances known as allergen
Allergen

An allergen is a parasite antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopy individuals.Most humans mount significant Immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections....
s; these reactions are acquired
Acquired disorder

An acquired disorder is a medical disease which develops post-fetally; in contrast with a congenital disorder, which is present at birth. A congenital disorder may be antecedent to an acquired disorder ....
, predictable and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system. Hypersensitivity reactions require a pre-sensitized state of the host....
 and is called type I (or immediate) hypersensitivity. It is characterized by excessive activation of certain white blood cell
White blood cell

White blood cells , or leukocytes , are cell of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials....
s called mast cell
Mast cell

A mast cell is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many Granule rich in histamine and heparin. Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately involved in wound healing and defense against pathogens....
s and basophils
Basophil granulocyte

Basophils are the least common of the granulocytes, representing about 0.01% to 0.3% of circulating leukocytes .The name comes from the fact that these leucocytes are basophilic, i.e., they are susceptible to staining by base dyes, as shown in the picture....
 by a type of antibody
Antibody

Antibodies are gamma globulin proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of vertebrates, and are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacterium and viruses....
 known as IgE
IGE

IGE is one of the largest MMORPG services companies, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and China. IGE is one of the main players in virtual economy services, also known in the MMORPG industry as secondary market....
, resulting in an extreme inflammatory
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 response.






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Allergy is a disorder of the immune system
Immune system

An immune system is a collection of biological processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumour cells....
 often also referred to as atopy
Atopy

Atopy or atopic syndrome is an allergic hypersensitivity affecting parts of the body not in direct contact with the allergen....
. Allergic reactions occur to environment
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
al substances known as allergen
Allergen

An allergen is a parasite antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopy individuals.Most humans mount significant Immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections....
s; these reactions are acquired
Acquired disorder

An acquired disorder is a medical disease which develops post-fetally; in contrast with a congenital disorder, which is present at birth. A congenital disorder may be antecedent to an acquired disorder ....
, predictable and rapid. Strictly, allergy is one of four forms of hypersensitivity
Hypersensitivity

Hypersensitivity refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system. Hypersensitivity reactions require a pre-sensitized state of the host....
 and is called type I (or immediate) hypersensitivity. It is characterized by excessive activation of certain white blood cell
White blood cell

White blood cells , or leukocytes , are cell of the immune system defending the body against both infectious disease and foreign materials....
s called mast cell
Mast cell

A mast cell is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many Granule rich in histamine and heparin. Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately involved in wound healing and defense against pathogens....
s and basophils
Basophil granulocyte

Basophils are the least common of the granulocytes, representing about 0.01% to 0.3% of circulating leukocytes .The name comes from the fact that these leucocytes are basophilic, i.e., they are susceptible to staining by base dyes, as shown in the picture....
 by a type of antibody
Antibody

Antibodies are gamma globulin proteins that are found in blood or other bodily fluids of vertebrates, and are used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects, such as bacterium and viruses....
 known as IgE
IGE

IGE is one of the largest MMORPG services companies, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and China. IGE is one of the main players in virtual economy services, also known in the MMORPG industry as secondary market....
, resulting in an extreme inflammatory
Inflammation

Inflammation is the complex biological response of Blood vessel tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. It is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli as well as initiate the healing process for the tissue....
 response. Common allergic reactions include eczema
Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions....
, hives
Urticaria

Urticaria are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions, however there are many non-allergic causes....
, hay fever
Hay Fever

Hay Fever is a comic play written by No?l Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Best described as a cross between high farce and a comedy of manners, the play is set in an English country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish b...
, asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
, food allergies
Food allergy

A food allergy is an adverse Immune system to a food protein. Food allergy is distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacologic reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions....
, and reactions to the venom
Venom

Venom is any of a variety of poisons used by certain types of animals. Generally, venom is injected by such means as a bite or a sting....
 of stinging insect
Insect

Insects are the biggest class of arthropods and the only ones with wings. They are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. They are most diverse at the equator and their diversity declines toward the poles....
s such as wasp
WAsP

WAsP is a PC program for predicting wind climates, wind resources, and power productions from wind turbines and wind farms. The predictions are based on wind data measured at stations in the same region....
s and bee
Bee

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants. Bees are a monophyly lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila....
s.

Mild allergies like hay fever
Hay Fever

Hay Fever is a comic play written by No?l Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Best described as a cross between high farce and a comedy of manners, the play is set in an English country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish b...
 are highly prevalent in the human population
Population

File:Population density.pngIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings....
 and cause symptom
Symptom

A symptom is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and not measured....
s such as allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis

Allergic conjunctivitis is Allergic Inflammation of the conjunctiva due to allergy. Although allergens differ between patients, the most common cause is hay fever....
, itchiness, and runny nose
Rhinorrhea

Rhinorrhea, commonly known as a runny nose, consists of an unusually significant amount of nasal discharge. It is a symptom of the common cold and of allergies ....
. Allergies can play a major role in conditions such as asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
. In some people, severe allergies to environmental or dietary allergens or to medication
Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
 may result in life-threatening anaphylactic reactions
Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is an acute Circulatory system and very severe Type I hypersensitivity allergy reaction in humans and other mammals. The term comes from the Greek words a?a ana and f??a??? phylaxis ....
 and potentially death.

A variety of tests now exist to diagnose allergic conditions; these include testing the skin for responses to known allergens or analyzing the blood for the presence and levels of allergen-specific IgE. Treatments for allergies include allergen avoidance, use of anti-histamines, steroid
Steroid

A steroid is a terpenoid lipid characterized by a carbon skeleton with four fused rings, generally arranged in a 6-6-6-5 fashion.Steroids vary by the functional groups attached to these rings and the oxidation state of the rings....
s or other oral
Mouth

The mouth, buccal cavity, or oral cavity is the first portion of the alimentary canal that receives food and begins digestion by mechanically breaking up the solid food particles into smaller pieces and mixing them with saliva....
 medications, immunotherapy
Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy, in medicine, refers to an array of treatment strategies based upon the concept of modulating the immune system to achieve a Prophylaxis and/or Immunosuppressive therapy goal....
 to desensitize
Desensitization (medicine)

For medical purposes, desensitization is a method to reduce or eliminate an organism's negative reaction to a substance or stimulus.For example, if a person with diabetes mellitus has a bad allergy to taking a full dose of beef insulin, the doctor gives the person a very small amount of the insulin at first....
 the response to allergen, and targeted therapy
Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy is a type of medication that blocks the growth of cancer cells by interfering with specific targeted molecules needed for carcinogenesis and tumor growth, rather than by simply interfering with rapidly dividing cells ....
.

Classification and history

The concept of "allergy" was originally introduced in 1906 by the Viennese pediatrician Clemens von Pirquet
Clemens von Pirquet

Clemens Peter Freiherr von Pirquet was an Austrian scientist and pediatrics best known for his contributions to the fields of bacteriology and immunology....
, after he noted that some of his patients were hypersensitive to normally innocuous entities such as dust
Dust

Dust is a general name for minute solid particles with diameters less than 20 Thou . Particles in the Earth's atmosphere arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind, volcanic eruptions, and pollution....
, pollen
Pollen

Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of Gametophyte , which produce the male gametes of spermatophyta. A hard coat covering the pollen grain protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement between the stamens of the flower to the pistil of the next flower....
, or certain foods. Pirquet called this phenomenon "allergy" from the Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 words allos meaning "other" and ergon meaning "work". Historically, all forms of hypersensitivity were classified as allergies, and all were thought to be caused by an improper activation of the immune system. Later, it became clear that several different disease
Disease

A disease or medical condition is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions, associated with specific symptoms and Medical signs....
 mechanisms were implicated, with the common link to a disordered activation of the immune system. In 1963, a new classification scheme was designed by Philip Gell
Philip George Houthem Gell

Philip George Houthem Gell was an immunologist working in postwar Britain.Together with Robin Coombs, he developed the Gell-Coombs classification. He was elected as Fellow of the Royal Society in 1969....
 and Robin Coombs
Robin Coombs

Robert Royston Amos Coombs, , was a British immunology, co-discoverer of the Coombs test used for detecting antibody in various clinical scenarios, such as Rh disease and blood transfusion....
 that described four types of hypersensitivity reactions, known as Type I to Type IV hypersensitivity. With this new classification, the word "allergy" was restricted to only type I hypersensitivities (also called immediate hypersensitivity), which are characterized as rapidly developing reactions.

A major breakthrough in understanding the mechanisms of allergy was the discovery of the antibody class labeled immunoglobulin E
Immunoglobulin E

In biology, Immunoglobulin E is a class of antibody that has only been found in mammals. It plays an important role in allergy, and is especially associated with type 1 hypersensitivity....
 (IgE) - Kimishige Ishizaka
Kimishige Ishizaka

Dr is a Japanese scientist who discovered the antibody class IgE in 1966. His work has been regarded as a major breakthrough in the understanding of allergy....
 and co-workers were the first to isolate and describe IgE in the 1960s.

Signs and symptoms

Common symptoms of allergy
Affected organ Symptom
Nose
Nose

Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for Respiration in conjunction with the mouth....
swelling of the nasal mucosa
Mucous membrane

The mucous membranes are linings of mostly germ layer origin, covered in epithelium, which are involved in absorption and secretion. They line various body cavities that are exposed to the external environment and internal organ ....
 (allergic rhinitis
Rhinitis

Rhinitis, commonly known as a runny nose, is the medical term describing irritation and inflammation of some internal areas of the nose. The primary symptom of rhinitis is nasal...
)
Sinuses
Paranasal sinus

Paranasal sinuses are air-filled spaces, communicating with the nasal cavity, within the bones of the skull and face....
allergic sinusitis
Sinusitis

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungus, virus, allergy or autoimmunity issues....
Eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
s
redness and itch
Itch

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that evokes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to classify it as any one type of sensory experience....
ing of the conjunctiva
Conjunctiva

The conjunctiva is a clear mucous membrane consisting of cells and underlying basement membrane that covers the sclera and lines the inside of the eyelids....
 (allergic conjunctivitis)
Airway
Airway

The airways are those parts of the respiratory system through which air flows, to get from the external environment to the alveoli.The airway begins at the mouth or nose, and accesses the vertebrate trachea via the pharynx....
s
Sneezing, coughing, bronchoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction

Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath....
, wheezing
Wheeze

A wheeze is a continuous, coarse, whistling sound produced in the respiratory airways during breathing. For wheezes to occur, some part of the respiratory tree must be narrowed or obstructed, or airflow velocity within the respiratory tree must be heightened....
 and dyspnea
Dyspnea

Dyspnea or dyspnoea , from Latin language dyspnoea, from Greek language dyspnoia from dyspnoos, shortness of breath) or shortness of breath is perceived to be difficulty of breathing or painful breathing that a patient is aware of....
, sometimes outright attacks of asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
, in severe cases the airway constricts due to swelling known as angioedema
Angioedema

Angioedema is the rapid swelling of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues. It is very similar to urticaria, but urticaria occurs in the upper dermis....
Ear
Ear

The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species....
s
feeling of fullness, possibly pain, and impaired hearing due to the lack of eustachian tube
Eustachian tube

The Eustachian tube is a tube that links the pharynx to the middle ear. In adults the Eustachian tube is approximately 35 mm long. It is named after the sixteenth century anatomist Bartolomeo Eustachi....
 drainage.
Skin
Skin

The skin is the outer covering of the body, also known as the epidermis. It is the largest organ of the integumentary system made up of multiple layers of epithelial biological tissue, and guards the underlying muscles, bones, ligaments and organ s....
rash
Rash

A rash is a change of the skin which affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin....
es, such as eczema
Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions....
 and hives (urticaria)
Urticaria

Urticaria are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions, however there are many non-allergic causes....
Gastrointestinal tract
Gastrointestinal tract

The digestive tract is the system of Organ s within multicellular animals that takes in food, digestion it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste....
abdominal pain
Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom....
, bloating
Bloating

Bloating is any abnormal general swelling, or increase in diameter of the abdomen area. As a symptom, the patient feels a full and tight abdomen, which may cause abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by borborygmus....
, vomiting, diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
Many allergens such as dust or pollen are airborne particles. In these cases, symptoms arise in areas in contact with air, such as eyes, nose and lungs. For instance, allergic rhinitis
Rhinitis

Rhinitis, commonly known as a runny nose, is the medical term describing irritation and inflammation of some internal areas of the nose. The primary symptom of rhinitis is nasal...
, also known as hay fever, causes irritation of the nose, sneezing, and itching and redness of the eyes. Inhaled allergens can also lead to asthmatic symptoms, caused by narrowing of the airways (bronchoconstriction
Bronchoconstriction

Bronchoconstriction is the constriction of the airways in the lungs due to the tightening of surrounding smooth muscle, with consequent coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath....
) and increased production of mucus
Mucus

In vertebrates, mucus is a slippery secretion produced by, and covering, mucous membranes. It is a viscous colloid containing antiseptic enzymes and immunoglobulins that serves to protect Epithelium in the respiratory,...
 in the lung
Lung

The lung is the essential respiration organ in air-breathing animals, including most tetrapods, a few fish and a few snails. In mammals and the more complex life forms, the two lungs are located in the chest on either side of the heart....
s, shortness of breath (dyspnea
Dyspnea

Dyspnea or dyspnoea , from Latin language dyspnoea, from Greek language dyspnoia from dyspnoos, shortness of breath) or shortness of breath is perceived to be difficulty of breathing or painful breathing that a patient is aware of....
), coughing and wheezing.

Aside from these ambient allergens, allergic reactions can result from food
Food

Food is any substance, usually composed of carbohydrates, fats, proteins and water, that can be Eating or Drinking by an animal or human for nutrition or pleasure....
s, insect stings
Insect sting allergy

Insect sting allergy is the term commonly given to the Allergy of an animal in response to the bite or sting of an insect. Typically, insects which generate allergic responses are either stinging insects or biting insects ....
, and reactions to medication
Medication

A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine or medicament, can be loosely defined as any substance intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease....
s like aspirin
Aspirin

Aspirin , also known as acetylsalicylic acid , is a salicylate medication, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains, as an antipyretic to reduce fever, and as an anti-inflammatory medication....
 and antibiotic
Antibiotic

In common usage, an antibiotic is a substance or compound that kills or inhibits the growth of bacteria. Antibiotics belong to the group of antimicrobial compounds used to treat infections caused by microorganisms, including fungus and protozoa....
s such as penicillin
Penicillin

Penicillin is a group of antibiotics derived from Penicillium fungi. They are Beta-lactam antibiotics used in the treatment of bacterial infections caused by susceptible, usually Gram-positive, organisms....
. Symptoms of food allergy include abdominal pain
Abdominal pain

Abdominal pain can be one of the symptoms associated with transient disorders or serious disease. Making a definitive diagnosis of the cause of abdominal pain can be difficult, because many diseases can result in this symptom....
, bloating
Bloating

Bloating is any abnormal general swelling, or increase in diameter of the abdomen area. As a symptom, the patient feels a full and tight abdomen, which may cause abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by borborygmus....
, vomiting, diarrhea
Diarrhea

In medicine, diarrhea, also spelled diarrhoea , is characterized by frequent loose or liquid bowel movements. The spelling of "diarrhea" is an appropriation of the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." ....
, itch
Itch

Itch is an unpleasant sensation that evokes the desire or reflex to scratch. Itch has resisted many attempts to classify it as any one type of sensory experience....
y skin, and swelling of the skin during hives
Angioedema

Angioedema is the rapid swelling of the dermis, subcutaneous tissue, mucosa and submucosal tissues. It is very similar to urticaria, but urticaria occurs in the upper dermis....
. Food allergies rarely cause respiratory
Respiratory tract

In humans the respiratory tract is the part of the anatomy that has to do with the process of Respiration .The respiratory tract is divided into 3 segments:...
 (asthmatic) reactions, or rhinitis
Rhinitis

Rhinitis, commonly known as a runny nose, is the medical term describing irritation and inflammation of some internal areas of the nose. The primary symptom of rhinitis is nasal...
. Insect stings, antibiotics, and certain medicines produce a systemic allergic response that is also called anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is an acute Circulatory system and very severe Type I hypersensitivity allergy reaction in humans and other mammals. The term comes from the Greek words a?a ana and f??a??? phylaxis ....
; multiple organ systems can be affected, including the digestive system, the respiratory system
Respiratory system

A respiratory system?s function is to allow gas exchange. The space between the alveoli and the capillaries, the anatomy or structure of the exchange system, and the precise physiological uses of the exchanged gases vary depending on the organism....
, and the circulatory system
Circulatory system

The circulatory system is an organ that moves nutrients, gases, and wastes to and from cells to help fight diseases and help stabilize body temperature and pH to maintain homeostasis....
. Depending of the rate of severity, it can cause cutaneous reactions, bronchoconstriction, edema
Edema

File:Oedema.jpgEdema or Oedema , formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin, or in one or more cavities of the body....
, hypotension
Hypotension

In physiology and medicine, hypotension refers to an abnormally low blood pressure. This is best understood as a physiologic state, rather than a disease....
, coma
Coma

In medicine, a coma is a profound state of unconsciousness. A comatose person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to pain or light, does not have sleep-wake cycles, and does not take voluntary actions....
, and even death
Death

Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that define a life organism. It refers to both a particular event and to the condition that results thereby....
. This type of reaction can be triggered suddenly, or the onset can be delayed. The severity of this type of allergic response often requires injections of epinephrine
Epinephrine

Epinephrine is a hormone and neurotransmitter.Epinephrine increases the "fight or flight" response of the Sympathetic nervous system of the autonomic nervous system....
, sometimes through a device known as the EpiPen
EpiPen

EpiPen is a registered trademark for a commonly used autoinjector of epinephrine , used in medicine to treat anaphylactic shock....
 auto-injector. The nature of anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis

Anaphylaxis is an acute Circulatory system and very severe Type I hypersensitivity allergy reaction in humans and other mammals. The term comes from the Greek words a?a ana and f??a??? phylaxis ....
 is such that the reaction can seem to be subsiding, but may recur throughout a prolonged period of time.

Substances that come into contact with the skin, such as latex
LaTeX

LaTeX is a document markup language and Word processor for the TeX typesetting program. Within the typesetting system, its name is styled as ....
, are also common causes of allergic reactions, known as contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis or Irritant dermatitis is a term for a skin reaction resulting from exposure to allergens or Irritation . Phototoxic dermatitis occurs when the allergen or irritant is activated by sunlight....
 or eczema. Skin allergies frequently cause rashes, or swelling and inflammation within the skin, in what is known as a "wheal
Wheal

A wheal or wheal response is a firm, elevated swelling of the skin. Wheals are generally pale red in color, although color can also be deep red or purple....
 and flare" reaction characteristic of hives and angioedema.

Cause

Risk factors for allergy can be placed in two general categories, namely host
Host (biology)

In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a virus or parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter....
 and environmental
Natural environment

The natural environment, commonly referred to simply as the environment, is a term that encompasses all life and non-living things occurring nature on Earth or some region thereof....
 factors. Host factors include heredity
Heredity

Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring . This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism....
, sex
Gender

Gender comprises a range of differences between man and woman, extending from the biological to the social. Biologically, the male gender is defined by the presence of a Y-chromosome, and its absence in the female gender....
, race, and age, with heredity being by far the most significant. However, there have been recent increases in the incidence of allergic disorders that cannot be explained by genetic factors alone. Four major environmental candidates are alterations in exposure to infectious disease
Infectious disease

An infectious disease is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, Mycosis, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions....
s during early childhood, environmental pollution
Pollution

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms ....
, allergen levels, and dietary
Diet (nutrition)

In nutrition, the diet is the sum of food consumed by a person or other organism. Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat....
 changes.

Genetic basis

Allergic diseases are strongly familial
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
: identical twins are likely to have the same allergic diseases about 70% of the time; the same allergy occurs about 40% of the time in non-identical twins
Twin

Twins are two offspring resulting from the same pregnancy, usually childbirth in close succession. They can be the same or different sex. Twins can either be monozygotic or dizygotic ....
. Allergic parents are more likely to have allergic children, and their allergies are likely to be more severe than those from non-allergic parents. Some allergies, however, are not consistent along genealogies
Genealogy

Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigree of its members....
; parents who are allergic to peanut
Peanut

The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume Fabaceae native to South America, Mexico and Central America. It is an annual plant herbaceous plant growing to 30 to 50 cm tall....
s may have children who are allergic to ragweed
Ragweed

Ragweeds , also called bitterweeds and bloodweeds, are a genus of flowering plants from the sunflower family .The scientific name of this genus is sometimes claimed to be derived from the Ancient Greek term for the perfumed nourishment of the gods, ambrosia which would be ironic since the genus is best known for one fact:...
. It seems that the likelihood of developing allergies is inherited
Heredity

Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring . This is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism....
 and related to an irregularity in the immune system, but the specific allergen
Allergen

An allergen is a parasite antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopy individuals.Most humans mount significant Immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections....
 is not.

The risk of allergic sensitization and the development of allergies varies with age, with young children most at risk. Several studies have shown that IgE levels are highest in childhood and fall rapidly between the ages of 10 and 30 years. The peak prevalence of hay fever is highest in children and young adults and the incidence of asthma is highest in children under 10. Overall, boys have a higher risk of developing allergy than girls, although for some diseases, namely asthma in young adults, females are more likely to be affected. Sex differences tend to decrease in adulthood. Ethnicity
Ethnic group

An ethnic group is a group of humans whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage that is real or presumed.Ethnic identity is further marked by the recognition from others of a group's distinctiveness and the recognition of common culture, linguistic, religion, human behaviour or Race traits, real or presumed, as indic...
 may play a role in some allergies, however racial factors have been difficult to separate from environmental influences and changes due to migration. Interestingly, it has been suggested that different genetic loci
Locus (genetics)

In the fields of genetics and evolutionary computation, a locus is a fixed position on a chromosome such as the position of a genetic marker that may be occupied by one or more genes....
 are responsible for asthma, specifically, in people of Caucasian
Caucasian race

The term Caucasian race has been used to denote the general physical type of some or all of the indigenous populations of Europe, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, West Asia, Central Asia and South Asia....
, Hispanic
Hispanic

Hispanic is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania . During the Modern Era, it took on a more limited meaning relating to the contemporary nation of Spain....
, Asian
Asian people

Asian or Asiatic people is a demonym for people from Asia. However, the use of the term varies by country and person, often referring to people from a particular region or subregion of Asia....
, and African origins.

Hygiene Hypothesis


According to the hygiene hypothesis
Hygiene hypothesis

In medicine, the hygiene hypothesis states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms , and parasites increases susceptibility to allergy diseases by modulating immune system development....
, proposed by David P. Strachan, allergic diseases are caused by inappropriate immunological responses to harmless antigens driven by a TH2
T helper cell

T helper cells are a sub-group of lymphocytes that play an important role in establishing and maximizing the capabilities of the immune system....
-mediated immune response. Many bacteria
Bacteria

The Bacteria are a large group of unicellular microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals....
 and viruses elicit a TH1-mediated immune response, which down-regulates TH2 responses. The first proposed mechanism of action of the hygiene hypothesis stated that insufficient stimulation of the TH1 arm of the immune system lead to an overactive TH2 arm, which in turn led to allergic disease. In other words, individuals living in too sterile an environment are not exposed to enough pathogens to keep the immune system busy. Since our bodies evolved to deal with a certain level of such pathogens, when it is not exposed to this level the immune system will attack harmless antigens, and thus normally benign microbial objects, like pollen, will trigger an immune response.

The hygiene hypothesis was developed to explain the observation that hay fever
Hay Fever

Hay Fever is a comic play written by No?l Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Best described as a cross between high farce and a comedy of manners, the play is set in an English country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish b...
 and eczema
Eczema

Eczema is a form of dermatitis, or inflammation of the epidermis. The term eczema is broadly applied to a range of persistent skin conditions....
, both allergic diseases, were less common in children from larger families, which were presumably exposed to more infectious agents through their siblings, than in children from families with only one child. The hygiene hypothesis has been extensively investigated by immunologists
Immunology

Immunology is a broad branch of biomedical science science that covers the study of all aspects of the immune system in all organisms. It deals with, among other things, the physiology functioning of the immune system in states of both health and disease; malfunctions of the immune system in immunological disorders ; the physical, chemical an...
 and epidemiologists
Epidemiology

Epidemiology is the study of factors affecting the health and illness of populations, and serves as the foundation and logic of interventions made in the interest of public health and preventive medicine....
 and has become an important theoretical framework for the study of allergic disorders. It is used to explain the increase in allergic diseases that has been seen since industrialization
Industrialization

Industrialization is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industry one....
, and the higher incidence of allergic diseases in more developed countries. The hygiene hypothesis has now expanded to include exposure to symbiotic bacteria and parasites as important modulators of immune system development, along with infectious agents.

Epidemiological data supports the hygiene hypothesis. Studies have shown that various immunological and autoimmune diseases are much less common in the developing world than the industrialized world and that immigrants to the industrialized world from the developing world increasingly develop immunological disorders in relation to the length of time since arrival in the industrialized world. Longitudinal studies in the third world demonstrate an increase in immunological disorders as a country grows more affluent and, presumably, cleaner. The use of antibiotics in the first year of life has been linked to asthma and other allergic diseases. The use of antibacterial cleaning products has also been associated with higher incidence of asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
, as has birth by Caesarean section rather than vaginal birth.

Other Environmental factors

International differences have been associated with the number of individuals within a population that suffer from allergy. Allergic diseases are more common in industrialized
Industrialisation

Industrialization is the process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a pre-industrial society into an industry one....
 countries than in countries that are more traditional or agricultural
Agriculture

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of civilization, with the animal husbandry of domestication animals and plants creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more Population density and Social stratification societies....
, and there is a higher rate of allergic disease in urban
Urban area

An urban area is an area with an increased Population density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be city, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlet ....
 populations versus rural
Rural

Rural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low populations. Today, 75 percent of the United States' inhabitants live in suburban and urban areas, but cities occupy only 2 percent of the country....
 populations, although these differences are becoming less defined.

Exposure to allergens, especially in early life, is an important risk factor
Risk factor

A risk factor is a variable associated with an increased risk of disease or infection. Risk factors are Correlation and not necessarily Causality, because correlation does not imply causation....
 for allergy. Alterations in exposure to microorganism
Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is an organism that is microscopic . The study of microorganisms is called microbiology, a subject that began with Anton van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of microorganisms in 1675, using a microscope of his own design....
s is another plausible explanation, at present, for the increase in atopic allergy
Atopy

Atopy or atopic syndrome is an allergic hypersensitivity affecting parts of the body not in direct contact with the allergen....
. Endotoxin exposure reduces release of inflammatory cytokine
Cytokine

Cytokines are a category of signaling molecules that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cell communication. They are proteins, peptides or glycoproteins....
s such as TNF-a, IFN?
Interferon-gamma

Interferon-gamma is a dimerized soluble cytokine that is the only member of the type II class of interferons. This interferon was originally called macrophage-activating factor, a term now used to describe a larger family of proteins to which IFN-? belongs....
, interleukin-10, and interleukin-12 from white blood cells (leukocytes) that circulate in the blood
Blood

Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's Cell s ? such as nutrients and oxygen ? and transports waste products away from those same cells....
. Certain microbe-sensing protein
Protein

Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue ....
s, known as Toll-like receptor
Toll-like receptor

Toll-like receptors are a class of proteins that play a key role in the innate immune system. They are single membrane-spanning non-catalytic Receptor that recognize structurally conserved molecules derived from microbes....
s, found on the surface of cells in the body are also thought to be involved in these processes.

Gutworms and similar parasites are present in untreated drinking water in developing countries, and were present in the water of developed countries until the routine chlorination
Chlorination

Chlorination is the process of adding the element chlorine to water as a method of water purification to make it fit for human consumption as drinking water....
 and purification of drinking water supplies. Recent research has shown that some common parasites, such as intestinal worm
Intestinal worm

Intestinal worms, are parasitism, and usually live in the small intestine, where they mate and live....
s (e.g. hookworm
Hookworm

The hookworm is a parasitic worm nematode worm that lives in the small intestine of its host, which may be a mammal such as a dog, cat, or human....
s), secrete chemicals into the gut wall (and hence the bloodstream) that suppress
Immunosuppressant

An immunosuppressant is a substance that performs immunosuppression of the immune system. They may either be exogenous, as immunosuppressive drugs, or endogenous, as e....
 the immune system and prevent the body from attacking the parasite. This gives rise to a new slant on the hygiene hypothesis theory — that co-evolution
Co-evolution

In a broad sense, biological coevolution is "the change of a biological object triggered by the change of a related object". Coevolution can occur at multiple levels of biology: it can be as microscopic as correlated mutations between amino acids in a protein, or as macroscopic as covarying traits between different species in an environment...
 of man and parasites has led to an immune system that only functions correctly in the presence of the parasites. Without them, the immune system becomes unbalanced and oversensitive. In particular, research suggests that allergies may coincide with the delayed establishment of gut flora
Gut flora

The gut flora are the microorganisms that normally live in the digestive tract of animals. Though widely known as the "intestinal microflora", this is technically a misnomer since the word root "flora" pertains to plants and biota refers to microbial life such as bacteria other than plants....
 in infant
Infant

An infant or baby is the term used to refer to the young offspring of humans....
s. However, the research to support this theory is conflicting, with some studies performed in China
China

China is a Culture of China, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
 and Ethiopia
Ethiopia

Ethiopia , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country situated in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Sudan to the west, Kenya to the south, Somalia to the east and Djibouti to the northeast....
 showing an increase in allergy in people infected with intestinal worms. Clinical trials have been initiated to test the effectiveness of certain worms in treating some allergies. It may be that the term 'parasite' could turn out to be inappropriate, and in fact a hitherto unsuspected symbiosis
Symbiosis

The term symbiosis commonly describes close and often long-term interactions between different biological species. The term was first used in 1879 by the Germany mycology Heinrich Anton de Bary, who defined it as "the living together of unlike organisms"....
 is at work. For more information on this topic, see Helminthic therapy
Helminthic therapy

Helminthic therapy is the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune disorders by means of deliberate infestation with a helminth or with the ova of a helminth....
.

Pathophysiology

The pathophysiology
Pathophysiology

Pathophysiology is the study of the disturbance of normal mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions, either caused by a disease, or resulting from a disease or abnormal syndrome, or condition that may not qualify to be called a disease....
 of allergic responses can be divided into two phases. The first is an acute response that occurs immediately after exposure to an allergen. This phase can either subside or progress into a "late phase reaction" which can substantially prolong the symptoms of a response, and result in tissue damage.

Acute response

In the early stages of allergy, a type I hypersensitivity reaction against an allergen, encountered for the first time, causes a response in a type of immune cell called a TH2 lymphocyte
T helper cell

T helper cells are a sub-group of lymphocytes that play an important role in establishing and maximizing the capabilities of the immune system....
, which belongs to a subset of T cell
T cell

T cells belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes, and play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocyte types, such as B cells and natural killer cells by the presence of a special receptor on their cell surface called T cell receptors ....
s that produce a cytokine
Cytokine

Cytokines are a category of signaling molecules that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cell communication. They are proteins, peptides or glycoproteins....
 called interleukin-4 (IL-4). These TH2 cells interact with other lymphocytes called B cell
B cell

B cells are lymphocytes that play a large role in the humoral immunity . The principal functions of B cells are to make antibody against antigens, perform the role of Antigen Presenting Cells and eventually develop into memory B cells after activation by antigen interaction....
s, whose role is production of antibodies. Coupled with signals provided by IL-4, this interaction stimulates the B cell to begin production of a large amount of a particular type of antibody known as IgE. Secreted IgE circulates in the blood and binds to an IgE-specific receptor (a kind of Fc receptor
Fc receptor

An Fc receptor is a protein found on the surface of certain cells - including natural killer cells, macrophages, neutrophils, and mast cells - that contribute to the protective functions of the immune system....
 called FceRI
FceRI

The high affinity IgE receptor, also known as FceRI, or Fc epsilon RI, is the high-affinity biochemistry for immunoglobulin E , an antibody isotype involved in allergy and resistance to parasites....
) on the surface of other kinds of immune cells called mast cell
Mast cell

A mast cell is a resident cell of several types of tissues and contains many Granule rich in histamine and heparin. Although best known for their role in allergy and anaphylaxis, mast cells play an important protective role as well, being intimately involved in wound healing and defense against pathogens....
s and basophils, which are both involved in the acute inflammatory response. The IgE-coated cells, at this stage are sensitized to the allergen.

If later exposure to the same allergen occurs, the allergen can bind to the IgE molecules held on the surface of the mast cells or basophils. Cross-linking of the IgE and Fc receptors occurs when more than one IgE-receptor complex interacts with the same allergenic molecule, and activates the sensitized cell. Activated mast cells and basophils undergo a process called degranulation
Degranulation

Degranulation is a cellular process that releases antimicrobial cytotoxic molecules from secretion vesicle s called Granule found inside some cells....
, during which they release histamine
Histamine

Histamine is a biogenic amine involved in local immune system as well as regulating physiological function in the gut and acting as a neurotransmitter....
 and other inflammatory chemical mediators (cytokine
Cytokine

Cytokines are a category of signaling molecules that, like hormones and neurotransmitters, are used extensively in cell communication. They are proteins, peptides or glycoproteins....
s, interleukin
Interleukin

Interleukins are a group of cytokines that were first seen to be expressed by white blood cells as a means of communication . The name is something of a relic though ; it has since been found that interleukins are produced by a wide variety of body cells....
s, leukotriene
Leukotriene

Leukotrienes are naturally produced eicosanoid lipid signaling, which may be responsible for the effects of an inflammatory response. Leukotrienes use both autocrine signalling and paracrine signalling to regulate the body's response....
s, and prostaglandin
Prostaglandin

A prostaglandin is any member of a group of lipid compounds that are derived enzymatically from fatty acids and have important functions in the animal body....
s) from their granule
Granule

Granule is a generic term used for a small particle or grain. The generic term is used in a variety of specific contexts.* Granule , visible structures in the photosphere of the Sun arising from activity in the Sun's convective zone...
s into the surrounding tissue causing several systemic effects, such as vasodilation
Vasodilation

Vasodilation refers to the widening of blood vessels resulting from relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, particularly in the large arteries, smaller arterioles and large veins....
, mucous
Mucous

Mucous may refer to:* The adjectival form of mucus, a slippery secretion of the lining of various membranes in the body* Mucous membrane, a membrane which secretes mucus...
 secretion, nerve
Nerve

A nerve is an enclosed, cable-like bundle of Peripheral nervous system axons . A nerve provides a common pathway for the electrochemical nerve impulses that are transmitted along each of the axons....
 stimulation and smooth muscle
Smooth muscle

Smooth muscle is a type of non-striated muscle, found within the tunica media layer of large and small arteries and veins, the urinary bladder, uterus, male and female reproductive tracts, gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, the ciliary muscle, and iris of the eye....
 contraction. This results in rhinorrhea
Rhinorrhea

Rhinorrhea, commonly known as a runny nose, consists of an unusually significant amount of nasal discharge. It is a symptom of the common cold and of allergies ....
, itchiness, dyspnea, and anaphylaxis. Depending on the individual, allergen, and mode of introduction, the symptoms can be system-wide (classical anaphylaxis), or localized to particular body systems; asthma is localized to the respiratory system and eczema is localized to the dermis
Dermis

File:EpidermisPainted.svgThe dermis is a layer of skin between the epidermis_ and subcutaneous tissues, and is composed of two layers, the papillary_dermis and reticular dermis....
.

Late-phase response

After the chemical mediators of the acute response subside, late phase responses can often occur. This is due to the migration of other leukocytes such as neutrophils, lymphocyte
Lymphocyte

A lymphocyte is a type of white blood cell in the vertebrate immune system.By their appearance under the light microscope, there are two broad categories of lymphocytes, namely the large granular lymphocytes and the small lymphocytes....
s, eosinophils and macrophage
Macrophage

Macrophages are white blood cells within tissues, produced by the division of monocytes. Human macrophages are about 21 micrometres in diameter....
s to the initial site. The reaction is usually seen 2-24 hours after the original reaction. Cytokines from mast cells may also play a role in the persistence of long-term effects. Late phase responses seen in asthma
Asthma

Asthma is a common chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, in which the Lung constrict, become inflammation, and are lined with excessive amounts of thickened mucus, often in response to one or more triggers....
 are slightly different from those seen in other allergic responses, although they are still caused by release of mediators from eosinophils, and are still dependent on activity of TH2 cells.

Diagnosis

Before a diagnosis of allergic disease can be confirmed, the other possible causes of the presenting symptoms should be carefully considered. Vasomotor rhinitis, for example, is one of many maladies
Illness

Illness can be defined as a state of poor health.It is sometimes considered a synonym for disease. Others maintain that fine distinctions exist....
 that shares symptoms with allergic rhinitis, underscoring the need for professional differential diagnosis. Once a diagnosis of asthma, rhinitis, anaphylaxis, or other allergic disease has been made, there are several methods for discovering the causative agent of that allergy.

Skin testing

For assessing the presence of allergen-specific IgE antibodies, allergy skin testing is preferred over blood allergy tests because it is more sensitive and specific, simpler to use, and less expensive. Skin testing is also known as "puncture testing" and "prick testing" due to the series of tiny puncture or pricks made into the patient's skin. Small amounts of suspected allergens and/or their extracts (pollen, grass, mite proteins, peanut extract, etc.) are introduced to sites on the skin marked with pen or dye (the ink/dye should be carefully selected, lest it cause an allergic response itself). A small plastic or metal device is used to puncture or prick the skin. Sometimes, the allergens are injected "intradermally" into the patient's skin, with a needle and syringe. Common areas for testing include the inside forearm and the back. If the patient is allergic to the substance, then a visible inflammatory reaction will usually occur within 30 minutes. This response will range from slight reddening of the skin to a full-blown hive
Urticaria

Urticaria are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions, however there are many non-allergic causes....
 (called "wheal and flare") in more sensitive patients. Interpretation of the results of the skin prick test is normally done by allergists on a scale of severity, with +/- meaning borderline reactivity, and 4+ being a large reaction. Increasingly, allergists are measuring and recording the diameter of the wheal and flare reaction. Interpretation by well-trained allergists is often guided by relevant literature. Some patients may believe they have determined their own allergic sensitivity from observation, but a skin test has been shown to be much better than patient observation to detect allergy.

If a serious life threatening anaphylactic reaction has brought a patient in for evaluation, some allergists will prefer an initial blood test prior to performing the skin prick test. Skin tests may not be an option if the patient has widespread skin disease or has taken antihistamines sometime the last several days.

Blood testing

Various blood allergy testing methods are also available for detecting allergy to specific substances. This kind of testing measures a "total IgE level" - an estimate of IgE contained within the patient's serum
Blood plasma

Blood plasma is the liquid component of blood, in which the blood cells are suspended. It makes up about 55% of total blood volume. It is composed of mostly water , and contains dissolved proteins, glucose, clotting factors, mineral ions, Hormone and carbon dioxide ....
. This can be determined through the use of radiometric
Radiometry

In optics, radiometry is the field that studies the measurement of electromagnetic radiation, including visible light. Note that light is also measured using the techniques of photometry_, which deal with brightness as perceived by the human eye, rather than absolute power....
 and colormetric
Colorimetry

Colorimetrycan refer to:* the quantitative study of color perception. It is similar to spectrophotometry, but may be distinguished by its interest in reducing spectra to tristimulus values, from which the perception of color derives....
 immunoassay
Immunoassay

An immunoassay is a biochemical test that measures the concentration of a substance in a biological liquid, typically blood plasma or urine, using the reaction of an antibody or antibodies to its antigen....
s. Radiometric assays include the radioallergosorbent test (RAST) test method, which uses IgE-binding (anti-IgE) antibodies labeled with radioactive isotopes for quantifying the levels of IgE antibody in the blood. Other newer methods use colorimetric or fluorometric technology in the place of radioactive isotopes. Some "screening" test methods are intended to provide qualitative test results, giving a "yes" or "no" answer in patients with suspected allergic sensitization. One such method has a sensitivity of about 70.8% and a positive predictive value of 72.6% according to a large study.

A low total IgE level is not adequate to rule out sensitization to commonly inhaled allergens. Statistical methods
Statistics

Statistics is a Mathematics pertaining to the collection, analysis, interpretation or explanation, and presentation of data. It also provides tools for prediction and forecasting based on data....
, such as ROC curves, predictive value calculations, and likelihood ratios have been used to examine the relationship of various testing methods to each other. These methods have shown that patients with a high total IgE have a high probability of allergic sensitization, but further investigation with specific allergy tests for a carefully chosen allergens is often warranted.

Treatment

There have been enormous improvements in the medical treatments used to treat allergic conditions. With respect to anaphylaxis and hypersensitivity reactions to foods, drugs, and insects and in allergic skin diseases, advances have included the identification of food proteins to which IgE binding is associated with severe reactions and development of low-allergen foods, improvements in skin prick test predictions; evaluation of the atopy
Atopy

Atopy or atopic syndrome is an allergic hypersensitivity affecting parts of the body not in direct contact with the allergen....
 patch test; in wasp sting outcomes predictions and a rapidly disintegrating epinephrine tablet, and anti-IL-5 for eosinophilic diseases.

Traditionally treatment and management of allergies involved simply avoiding the allergen in question or otherwise reducing exposure. For instance, people with cat allergies were encouraged to avoid them. While avoidance may help to reduce symptoms and avoid life-threatening anaphylaxis, it is difficult to achieve for those with pollen or similar air-borne allergies. Strict avoidance still has a role in management though, and is often used in managing food allergies.

Pharmacotherapy

Several antagonistic
Receptor antagonist

A receptor antagonist is a type of receptor ligand or drug that does not provoke a biological response itself upon binding to a Receptor , but blocks or dampens agonist-mediated responses....
 drugs are used to block the action of allergic mediators, or to prevent activation of cells and degranulation processes. These include antihistamine
Antihistamine

An H1 antagonist is a histamine antagonist of the histamine H1 receptor that serves to reduce or eliminate effects mediated by histamine, an endogenous chemical mediator released during allergy....
s, cortisone
Cortisone

Cortisone is a steroid hormone. Chemically, it is a corticosteroid closely related to corticosterone....
, dexamethasone
Dexamethasone

Dexamethasone is a potent synthetic member of the glucocorticoid class of steroid hormones. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive drug....
, hydrocortisone, epinephrine
Epinephrine

Epinephrine is a hormone and neurotransmitter.Epinephrine increases the "fight or flight" response of the Sympathetic nervous system of the autonomic nervous system....
 (adrenaline), theophylline
Theophylline

Theophylline, also known as dimethylxanthine, is a methylxanthine drug used in therapy for respiratory diseases such as COPD or asthma under a variety of brand names....
 and cromolyn sodium. Anti-leukotriene
Leukotriene

Leukotrienes are naturally produced eicosanoid lipid signaling, which may be responsible for the effects of an inflammatory response. Leukotrienes use both autocrine signalling and paracrine signalling to regulate the body's response....
s, such as Montelukast
Montelukast

Montelukast is a leukotriene receptor antagonist used for the maintenance treatment of asthma and to relieve symptoms of seasonal allergy. It is usually administered orally....
 (Singulair) or Zafirlukast
Zafirlukast

Zafirlukast is an oral leukotriene receptor antagonist for the maintenance treatment of asthma, often used in conjunction with an inhaled steroid and/or long-acting bronchodilator....
 (Accolate), are FDA approved for treatment of allergic diseases. Anti-cholinergic
Cholinergic

A receptor is cholinergic if it uses acetylcholine as its neurotransmitter.Cholinergic means related to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and is typically used in a neurological perspective....
s, decongestant
Decongestant

A decongestant is a broad class of medications used to relieve nasal congestion. Generally, they work by reducing swelling of the mucous membranes in the nose passages....
s, mast cell stabilizers, and other compounds thought to impair eosinophil chemotaxis
Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis, a kind of taxis, is the phenomenon in which bodily cells, bacterium, and other single-cell or multicellular organisms direct their movements according to certain chemicals in their environment....
, are also commonly used. These drugs help to alleviate the symptoms of allergy, and are imperative in the recovery of acute anaphylaxis, but play little role in chronic treatment of allergic disorders.

Immunotherapy

Desensitization or hyposensitization
Hyposensitization

Hyposensitization is a form of immunotherapy in which the patient is vaccinated with progressively larger doses of an allergen to which they have been diagnosed as being sensitive....
 is a treatment in which the patient is gradually vaccinated
Vaccination

Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material to produce immunity to a disease. Vaccines can prevent or ameliorate the effects of infection by a pathogen....
 with progressively larger doses of the allergen in question. This can either reduce the severity or eliminate hypersensitivity altogether. It relies on the progressive skewing of IgG antibody production, to block excessive IgE production seen in atopys. In a sense, the person builds up immunity to increasing amounts of the allergen in question. Studies have demonstrated the long-term efficacy and the preventive effect of immunotherapy in reducing the development of new allergy. Meta-analyses have also confirmed efficacy of the treatment in allergic rhinitis in children and in asthma. A review by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester confirmed the safety and efficacy of allergen immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis, allergic forms of asthma, and stinging insect based on numerous well-designed scientific studies. Additionally, national and international guidelines confirm the clinical efficacy of injection immunotherapy in rhinitis and asthma, as well as the safety, provided that recommendations are followed.

A second form of immunotherapy involves the intravenous injection of monoclonal anti-IgE antibodies. These bind to free and B-cell associated IgE; signalling their destruction. They do not bind to IgE already bound to the Fc receptor on basophils and mast cells, as this would stimulate the allergic inflammatory response. The first agent of this class is Omalizumab
Omalizumab

Omalizumab is a monoclonal antibody made by Genentech / Novartis and used mainly in allergy-related asthma therapy, with the purpose of reducing allergic hypersensitivity....
. While this form of immunotherapy is very effective in treating several types of atopy, it should not be used in treating the majority of people with food allergies.

A third type, Sublingual immunotherapy
Sublingual immunotherapy

Sublingual Immunotherapy is method of allergy treatment that uses an allergen solution given under the tongue, which over the course of treatment, reduces sensitivity to allergens....
, is an orally-administered therapy which takes advantage of oral immune tolerance
Immune tolerance

Immune or 'immunological tolerance' is the process by which the immune system does not attack an antigen. It occurs in three forms: central tolerance, peripheral tolerance and acquired tolerance....
 to non-pathogenic antigens such as foods and resident bacteria. This therapy currently accounts for 40 percent of allergy treatment in Europe. In the United States, sublingual immunotherapy is gaining support among traditional allergists and is endorsed by doctors who treat allergy.

Allergy shot treatment is the closest thing to a ‘cure’ for allergic symptoms. This therapy requires a long-term commitment.

Unproven and ineffective treatments

An experimental treatment, enzyme potentiated desensitization
Enzyme potentiated desensitization

Enzyme potentiated desensitization, or EPD, is a treatment for allergies developed in the 1960s by Dr. Len McEwen in the United Kingdom. EPD uses much lower doses of antigens than conventional treatment, with the addition of an enzyme, beta glucuronidase....
 (EPD), has been tried for decades but is not generally accepted as effective. EPD uses dilutions of allergen and an enzyme, beta-glucuronidase, to which T-regulatory lymphocytes are supposed to respond by favouring desensitization, or down-regulation, rather than sensitization. EPD has also been tried for the treatment of autoimmune diseases but again is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or of proven effectiveness.

In alternative medicine
Alternative medicine

The term alternative medicine, as used in the modern western world, encompasses any healing practice "that does not fall within the realm of conventional medicine"....
, a number of allergy treatments are described by its practitioners, particularly naturopathic, herbal medicine, homeopathy
Homeopathy

File:LedumPalustre15CH.jpgHomeopathy is a form of alternative medicine first expounded by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796, that treats a disease with heavily diluted preparations created from substances that would ordinarily cause effects similar to the disease's symptoms....
, traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine includes a range of traditional medicine practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medicine system in much of the western world....
 and applied kinesiology
Applied kinesiology

Applied Kinesiology is a practice of using manual muscle-strength testing for medical diagnosis and a subsequent determination of prescribed therapy....
. Systematic literature searches conducted by the Mayo Clinic through 2006, involving hundreds of articles studying multiple conditions, including asthma and upper respiratory tract infection showed no effectiveness of any alternative treatments, and no difference compared with placebo. The authors concluded that, based on rigorous clinical trials of all types of homeopathy for childhood and adolescence ailments, there is no convincing evidence that supports the use of alternative treatments.

Epidemiology

Many diseases related to inflammation such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic disease inflammation that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints....
 and allergic diseases—hay fever and asthma—have increased in the Western world
Western world

The term Western world, the West or the Occident can have multiple meanings dependent on its context . Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical circumstances....
 over the past 2-3 decades. Rapid increases in allergic asthma and other atopic disorders in industrialized nations probably began in the 1960s and 1970s, with further increases occurring during the 1980s and 1990s, although some suggest that a steady rise in sensitization has been occurring since the 1920s. The incidence of atopy in developing countries has generally remained much lower.

Allergic conditions: Statistics and Epidemiology
Allergy type United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 
United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
Allergic rhinitis 35.9 million (about 11% of the population)3.3 million (about 5.5% of the population)
Asthma 10 million suffer from allergic asthma (about 3% of the population). The prevalence of asthma increased 75% from 1980-1994. Asthma prevalence is 39% higher in African American
African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
s than in Anglo Saxons.
5.7 million (about 9.4%). In six and seven year olds asthma increased from 18.4% to 20.9% over five years, during the same time the rate decreased from 31% to 24.7% in 13 to 14 year olds.
Atopic eczema About 9% of the population. Between 1960 and 1990 prevalence has increased from 3% to 10% in children. 5.8 million (about 1% severe).
Anaphylaxis At least 40 deaths per year due to insect venom. About 400 deaths due to penicillin anaphylaxis. About 220 cases of anaphylaxis and 3 deaths per year are due to latex allergy. An estimated 150 people die annually from anaphylaxis due to food allergy. Between 1999 and 2006, 48 deaths occurred in people ranging from five months to 85 years old.
Insect venom Around 15% of adults have mild, localized allergic reactions. Systemic reactions occur in 3% of adults and less than 1% of children. Unknown
Drug allergies Anaphylactic reactions to penicillin cause 400 deaths per year. Unknown
Food allergies walnut
Walnut

Walnuts are plants in the family Juglandaceae. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meter s tall , with pinnate leaves 200?900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnut but not the hickory in the same family....
, almond
Almond

The Almond is a species of tree of the genus Prunus, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae and native to the Middle East....
 and cashew
Cashew

The cashew is a tree in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The plant is native to northeastern Brazil. Its English language name derives from the Portuguese language name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi language name, acaj?....
) allergy affects about three million Americans, or 1.1% of the population.
5-7% of infants and 1-2% of adults. A 117.3% increase in peanut allergies was observed from 2001 to 2005, an estimated 25,700 people in England are affected.
Multiple allergies
(Asthma, eczema and allergic rhinitis together)
Unknown 2.3 million (about 3.7%), prevalence has increased by 48.9% between 2001 and 2005.


Although genetic factors fundamentally govern susceptibility to atopic disease, increases in atopy have occurred within too short a time frame to be explained by a genetic change in the population, thus pointing to environmental or lifestyle changes. Several hypotheses have been identified to explain this increased prevalence; increased exposure to perennial allergens due to housing changes and increasing time spent indoors, and changes in cleanliness or hygiene that have resulted in the decreased activation of a common immune control mechanism, coupled with dietary changes, obesity and decline in physical exercise. The hygiene hypothesis
Hygiene hypothesis

In medicine, the hygiene hypothesis states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents, symbiotic microorganisms , and parasites increases susceptibility to allergy diseases by modulating immune system development....
 maintains that high living standards and hygienic conditions exposes children to fewer infections. It is thought that reduced bacterial and viral infections early in life direct the maturing immune system away from TH1 type responses, leading to unrestrained TH2 responses that allow for an increase in allergy.

Changes in rates and types of infection alone however, have been unable to explain the observed increase in allergic disease, and recent evidence has focused attention on the importance of the gastrointestinal microbial environment. Evidence has shown that exposure to food and fecal-oral
Fecal-oral route

The fecal-oral route is a Transmission of diseases, when they can be passed when Feces particles from one host are introduced into the mouth of another potential host....
 pathogens, such as hepatitis A
Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A, , is an Acute infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatitis A virus, which is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or drinking water....
, Toxoplasma gondii
Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii is a species of parasite protozoa in the genus Toxoplasma. The definitive host of T. gondii is the cat, but the parasite can be carried by all known mammals....
, and Helicobacter pylori
Helicobacter pylori

Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative, microaerophile bacterium that inhabits various areas of the stomach and duodenum. It causes a chronic low-level inflammation of the stomach lining and is strongly linked to the development of duodenal and gastric peptic ulcers and stomach cancer bacteria....
 (which also tend to be more prevalent in developing countries), can reduce the overall risk of atopy by more than 60%, and an increased prevalence of parasitic infections has been associated with a decreased prevalence of asthma. It is speculated that these infections exert their effect by critically altering TH1/TH2 regulation. Important elements of newer hygiene hypotheses also include exposure to endotoxin
Endotoxin

Endotoxins are toxins associated with certain bacteria. Classically, an "endotoxin" is a toxin which, unlike an "exotoxin", is not secreted in soluble form by live bacteria, but is a structural component in the bacteria which is released mainly when bacteria are lysis....
s, exposure to pets and growing up on a farm.

Medical specialty

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 physicians who hold certification by the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) have successfully completed an accredited educational program and an evaluation process, including a secure, proctored examination to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and experience to the provision of patient care in allergy and immunology. An allergist-immunologist is a physician specially trained to manage and treat asthma and the other allergic diseases. Becoming an allergist-immunologist requires completion of at least nine years of training. After completing medical school and graduating with a medical degree, a physician will then undergo three years of training in internal medicine (to become an internist) or pediatrics (to become a pediatrician). Once physicians have finished training in one of these specialties, they must pass the exam of either the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) or the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). Internists or pediatricians who wish to focus on the sub-specialty of allergy-immunology then complete at least an additional two years of study, called a fellowship, in an allergy-immunology training program. Allergist-immunologists who are listed as ABAI-certified have successfully passed the certifying examination of the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI), following their fellowship.

In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, allergy is a subspecialty of general medicine or pediatrics
Pediatrics

Differences between adult and pediatric medicinePediatrics differs from adult medicine in many respects. The obvious body size differences are paralleled by maturational changes....
. After obtaining postgraduate exams (MRCP
Membership of the Royal College of Physicians

Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians is a postgraduate medical diploma. The examinations are run by the Federation of the Medical Royal Colleges of the UK ....
 or MRCPCH respectively) a doctor works as several years as a specialist registrar
Specialist registrar

'Specialist Registrar' A Specialist Registrar or SpR is a Physician in the United Kingdom who is receiving advanced training in a specialist field of medicine in order eventually to become a Consultant ....
 before qualifying for the General Medical Council
General Medical Council

The General Medical Council is the regulator of the medicine profession in the United Kingdom. It registers medical doctor and has the power to revoke the registration, or place restrictions, in cases of questions about a doctor's fitness to practise....
 specialist register. Allergy services may also be delivered by immunologists. A 2003 Royal College of Physicians
Royal College of Physicians

The Royal College of Physicians of London was the first medical institution in England to receive a Royal Charter. It was founded in 1518 and is one of the most active of all medical professional organisations....
 report presented a case for improvement of what were felt to be inadequate allergy services in the UK. In 2006, the House of Lords
House of Lords

The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". The Parliament comprises the British monarchy, the British House of Commons , and the Lords....
 convened a subcommittee that reported in 2007. It concluded likewise that allergy services were insufficient to deal with what the Lords referred to as an "allergy epidemic" and its social cost; it made several other recommendations.

See also

  • Allergic inflammation
    Allergic inflammation

    Allergic inflammation is an important pathophysiological feature of several disabilities or medical conditions including allergic asthma, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and several ocular allergic diseases....
  • Basophil activation
    Basophil activation

    Allergic symptoms are caused by an initial systemic histamine release by activated basophiles and mast cells, that may lead to shock with laryngeal edema, lower-airway obstruction and hypotension....
  • Allergen
    Allergen

    An allergen is a parasite antigen capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopy individuals.Most humans mount significant Immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections....
  • Hypersensitivity
    Hypersensitivity

    Hypersensitivity refers to undesirable reactions produced by the normal immune system. Hypersensitivity reactions require a pre-sensitized state of the host....
  • Hypoallergenic
    Hypoallergenic

    Hypoallergenic is a term coined by advertisers and first used in a cosmetics campaign in 1953. It is used to describe items that cause or are claimed to cause fewer allergy reactions....
  • IgE
    IGE

    IGE is one of the largest MMORPG services companies, with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, and China. IGE is one of the main players in virtual economy services, also known in the MMORPG industry as secondary market....
  • Immunoglobulin
  • Multiple chemical sensitivity
    Multiple chemical sensitivity

    Multiple chemical sensitivity is described as a chronic condition characterized by adverse effects from exposure to low levels of chemicals or other substances in modern human environments....
     (MCS)
  • Oral allergy syndrome
    Oral allergy syndrome

    Oral allergy syndrome or OAS is a type of food allergy typified by a cluster of allergic reactions in the mouth in response to eating certain fruits, nut , and vegetables that typically develops in adult hay fever sufferers....
  • Urticaria
    Urticaria

    Urticaria are a kind of skin rash notable for dark red, raised, itchy bumps. Hives are frequently caused by allergic reactions, however there are many non-allergic causes....
  • Medical tattoo
    Medical tattoo

    A medical tattoo is a tattoo used to show the illnesses or allergetic reactions one has. Medical tattoos can be placed on someone for the following reasons:...


External links

  • – patient advocacy organization
  • – ABAI establishes qualifications and examines physicians to become recognized specialists in allergy and immunology in the U.S.